Method of making and filling tea bags, coffee bags, and the like



Feb. 10, 1942. w. s. PATTERSON METHOD OF MAKING AND FILLING TEA BAGS,COFFEE BAGS, AND THE LIKE Filed May a, 1940 kwHwRoo.

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v William SPorTerson b rmdm w Aflys.

Patented Feb. 10, 1942 METHOD OF MAKING AND FILLING TEA BAGS, COFFEEBAGS, AND THE LIKE William S. Patterson, Arlington, Mass., assignor toPneumatic Scale Corporation, limited, Quincy, Mass, a corporation ofMassachusetts Application May 8, 1940, Serial No. 333,895

3 Claims This invention relates to thgmanufacture of tea bags, cofieebags and the l e and has for its general object to provld a novel methodof making and filling tea. bags according to which the bags are madefrom a web of bag material and are filled while the web occupies and istravelling in a vertical direction. In carrying out my invention, a webof bag material is disposed in a vertical position and is then foldedalong a median line, and the two sides of the vertically extendingfolded web are united at spaced intervals to form pockets, each pocketbeing filled and subsequently sealed while the web is still in verticalposition. Each filled pocket is subsequently severed from the web toform an individual filled tea bag.

One advantage resulting from this method is that a less complicatedmachine is required for making and filling the tea bags while the web isin the vertical position than is required when the bags are made andfilled from a horizontally travelling web.

Another advantage is that a machine necessary to carry out my improvedmethod requires less fioor space than one in which the bags are madefrom a horizontally travelling web.

In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustratedin the drawing some selected embodiments thereof which will now bedescribed after which the novel features will be pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawing- Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective more or less diagrammaticviews illustrating the steps of my improved process.

Fig. 3 is a view of a tea bag made in accordance with my process.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a slightlydifferent embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, I indicates a web of bag material fromwhich the individual tea bags are made. This web is shown as passingover a guide roll I2 and as occupying a vertical position as it isdelivered from the guide roll.

In accordance with my invention, the portion of the web which isdelivered from the guide roll I2 and extends in a vertical direction isfolded along a, median line to present a vertically extending folded webhaving the two sides 2 and 3. These two sides are adhesively orotherwise united along successive separated zones 4 extendingtransversely to the web and as said two sides 2 and 3 are united alongany transverse zone 4, the said sides will be simultaneously adhesivelyor otherwise united along a zone 5 adjacent the edges of the fold andwhich meets the zone 4, thereby to produce a pocket 6 between the foldswhich is bounded on one side by the fold I of the web, along anotherside by the zone 4 where the two sides are united, and along a thirdside by the zone 5 where the folds are also united at the edges.

The required amount of coffee, tea, or other material is then introducedinto this pocket 6, after which the two sides 2 and 3 of the folded webare adhesively or otherwise united throughout another transverse zone 4,thereby to close and seal the open side of the pocket through which itis filled.

A succession of pockets are thus formed in the vertically extendingportion of the web, and each pocket is formed, filled and sealed whileit still constitutes an integral part of the web I, as clearly seen fromFig. 2.

After each pocket has been filled and sealed, then it is severed fromthe web along a line bisecting the transverse zone 4, thereby to producethe filled tea bag 30 illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5.

It will be understood, of course, that any adhesive which is used forforming and sealing the pockets will be of such a character that it willnot lose its adhesive properties when it is placed in hot water.

The web I of bag material may be made of any appropriate material. Onematerial which is well-adapted for this purpose is a porous fibrousmaterial which contains a pressure-responsive binding material so thatwhen two layers or plies of the material are pressed together, they willbecome and remain adhesively united.

If a bag material having these characteristics is used, then the pocketsmay be formed by clamping the folded web between two dies or clampingmembers, indicated at 8 and 9. Each of these clamping members isillustrated as having an L shape and as being provided with a ing apressure-responsive binder, then the pressure which the dies I and 9apply to the folded web will cause the two sides 2 and 3 to beadhesively united along the transverse zone 4 and the longitudinal zone5.- The pressure developed by the arms II of the dies or clampingmembers adhesively unite the two folds of the web along the transversezone 4, and thearms 5 of the clamping members adhesively unite the twosides of the fold along the zone 5.

The action of the clamping members 8 and 9 in adhesively uniting the twosides 2 and 3 of the web along the zones 4 and 5 forms a pocket 6between the sides of the fold which is closed on one side by the foldededge I, on the bottom side by the zone 4 throughout which the two sidesof the web are adhesively united and on another side by the zone 5throughout which the sides 2 and 3 are also adhesively united, saidpocket being open at its top side. This pocket can be filled through itsopen top side in anyappropriate way, as by means of a delivery tube orspout l4, the delivery end of which lies between the sides 2 and 3 ofthe partially folded web. Said spout leads to any suitable hopper orother means for delivering measured quantities of tea, coffee and thelike.

When any pocket 6 has been thus formed and filled, then the web isadvanced one step which carries the filled pocket below the clampingdevices 8 and 9 and into the position of the pocket indicated at Go, itbeing understood that said clamping devices will be actuated to releasethe pressure on the web when the latter is to be moved forward. Afterthe web has been advanced, said clamping devices are then again ac..tuated to adhesively unite the web along other zones 4 and 5 duringwhich operation the cementing together of the sides 2 and 3 of the foldalong the zone 4 serves to seal the pocket 8 which has just been filled.The sealing of a filled pocket is thus accomplished simultaneously withthe forming of the next successive pocket. When the second pocket hasbeen formed, then it is filled, as above described, and the web againadvanced one step into position for the formation of a third pocket.

The operation of adhesively uniting the sides 2 and 3 of the web to formthe third pocket serves simultaneously to seal the second pocket whichhas previously been filled.

After each pocket has been filled and sealed, then it is severed fromthe web, thereby to form a tea bag having the folded edge I and havingthe other three sides l5, l6, l1, adhesively united.

This severing of each individually filled and sealed pocket from the webmay be accomplished by any suitable means such as a shearing devicecomprising a ledger blade I8 and a pivoted cutting member 19.

The web may be fed forward in any appropriate way. and by means offeeding rolls indicated at 2lland 2|.

Another way of forming the pockets is indicated in Fig. 6 wherein theweb I a of bag material is provided on one side with spaced transversebands 4a of a in material, which bands extend tiansversely of the web,and also is provided with bands 5a extending along the edges of the web.This adhesive material may be applied to a web of fabric or any othermaterial in any suitable way. This web in is folded longitudinally asabove described, and then passes between the clamping members 811 and 8awhich operate to press the sides 2a, 3a of web material together alongthe zones where the adhesive material has been applied, thereby to formthe pockets. These pockets are filled. as above described, and then theyare sealed and are afterwards severed from the bag material.

One way of applying the bands 40, 5a of adhesive to one face of the webmaterial I a would be by passing the web between two rolls 22, 23, theroller 22 being an adhesive applying roller which is formed so that ateach rotation thereof, it will apply a band 40 of adhesive to the faceof the fabric, said roller being constructed to apply to the face of thefabric the continuous bands Ia at the edges of the fabric.

I have referred above to the use of a pressureresponsive adhesive forcementing together or adhesively uniting the two sides 2 and 3 of thefolded web, but the invention is not limited to the use of anyparticular type of adhesive for this purpose. A thermo-plastic adhesivewhich requires the application of heat to soften it and cause it toadhere may be used, and if this type of adhesive is employed, then theclamping members 8 and 9 may be provided with means to heat them so asto furnish the necessary heat to soften the thermo-plastic adhesive.

Any other suitable form of adhesive may be used, however, without in anyway departing from the invention, and, as stated above, if heat isnecessary to soften or dry the adhesive, then provision may be-made forheating the clamping members 8 and 9.

If desired, the adhesively united edges of each tea bag may be embossedor imprinted or otherwise marked to indicate the character of thematerial within the bag, the brand name, or any other data regarding thetea bag.

One way in which this could be done would be to make the clampingmembers 8 and I of such a character that they would function asembossing dies as well as clamping means for applying the necessarypressure to the folded sides of the web to secure the adhesive unionbetween said sides. Or said clamping members I and I might beconstructed so that they would make an imprint on the adhesively unitededges of each pocket.

Another way of providing each tea bag with suitable markings would be toconstruct the clamping members'8 and 9 so that they would perforate theadhesively united edges of each tea bag at the time pressure was appliedthereto.

In all the embodiments of my invention, it is to be noted that the webis disposed in a substantially vertical position when it is folded andwhile the pockets are being formed therein and are being filled andsealed, and I regard this as of some importance partly because a simplermachine occupying less fioor space will be required to form the tea bagsin this way than is required where the web is travelling in a horizontaldirection as the tea bags are being formed and filled.

I claim:

1. The method of making and filling tea bags and the like whichcomprises folding a web of bag material along a line extendinglongitudinally thereof, adhesively uniting the two sides of the foldedweb throughout two zones simultaneously, one zone extending transverselyof the web and the other zone extending longitudinally of the webadjacent the edges thereof, thereby to form a pocket closed on one sideby the fold of the web and on two other sides by the adhesively unitedportions of the web, filling said pocket with infusion-producingmaterial, adhesively uniting the two sides of the fold throughout asecond zone extending transversely of the web, thereby to seal saidpocket and then severing said sealed pocket from the web.

2. The method of making and filling tea bags and the like whichcomprises folding a web of bag material along a median line extendinglongitudinally thereof, adhesively uniting the two sides of the foldedweb throughout a zone extending transversely of the web and simultaneously adhesively uniting said sides throughout another zone extendinglongitudinally of the web adjacent the edges thereof, thereby to form apocket which is closed on one side by the fold of the web and on twoother sides by the adhesively united portions of the web, filling saidpocket with infusion-producing material, adhesively uniting said webthroughout a second zone extending transversely of the web and alsothroughout a second zone extending longitudinally of the web adjacentthe edges thereof which second longitudinal zone connects with thefirst-named longitudinally extending zone, thereby to seal the filledpocket and to form a second pocket, filling said second pocket with'infusion-producing material and then repeating said operations to formand fill other pockets.

3. The method of making and filling tea bags and the like whichcomprises folding a web of uniting the two sides of the folded webthroughout two zones simultaneously, one zone extending transversely ofthe web and the other zone extending longitudinally of the web adjacentthe edges thereof, thereby to form a pocket closed on one side by thefold of the web and on two other sides by the adhesively united portionsof the web, filling said pocket with infusion-producing material,adhesively uniting the two sides of the folded web throughout a secondzone extending transversely of the web and simultaneously adhesivelyuniting said sides throughout another zone extending longitudinally ofthe web adjacent the edges thereof to seal the filled pocket and to forman additional unfilled pocket. filling the additional pocket withinfusion-producing material, repeating the above operations of sealingeach pocket as it is formed and forming and filling an additionalpocket, and severing each filled pocket from the web after it has been 1sealed.

WILLIAM S. PATTERSON.

